MFAH Lecture: "Tolerance: The Spirit at the Heart of Islam"

Reza Shah-Kazemi offers a look at the Islamic faith's inherent tolerance through compelling historical illustrations and careful theological exposition. This lecture examines the practice of tolerance in Muslim history, focusing upon four specific dynastic contexts: the Ottomans, Mughals, Fatimids and the Umayyads of Spain.

Also explored are the roots of this tradition and how religious, political and legal tolerance characterizes the history of Muslim encounters with other faiths in an outward expression of respect for all religions — a spirit enshrined in the Qur'anic revelation and embodied in the ethics of Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam.